L — Go fishing. Catch a salmon. Now what?
(Warning: Blood and guts photos.)
The return of Fall is a glorious time for hunters and fishermen in Sacramento. September is the opening of dove season, which flows directly into salmon season, then deer, then duck and then sturgeon.
Salmon is the king of the river for most fishermen. The season starts slowly. But by October, most people can catch one or more fish without much effort. When you do hook a salmon, the fish quickly lets you know its actual power. The salmon you just hooked was born in the swift river and has managed to elude predators for at least three years, both in the river and in the ocean. That’s very hard to do. Everything wants to eat you, including humans!
So, as a human in the food chain, you honor the salmon’s legacy by properly catching and handling it. In this way, you can enjoy the finest fish and respect the invaluable resources we have at our doorstep.
Enjoy!
How to filet a salmon
cleaning
- Make sure you have a sharp knife and a few cloth towels. Place one towel under the fish to prevent slipping.
- Gut the salmon by inserting the knife about 1″ in at the anus. Cut toward the head, working all the way to the gill plates.
- Remove the innards.
- Score the “blood line” with a knife and remove using the back of your thumb or a spoon.
- Rinse well to remove any blood or pieces of innards.
filleting
For right-handers (lefties, just reverse everything):
- Orient the fish facing right with the belly towards you.
- Place your knife as close to the gill plate as possible, with the sharp edge of the blade angled slightly toward the head. Slice downward at an angle until you hit the backbone. DO NOT cut through the backbone!
- Flip the fish over and do the same with the other side. This time, cut through the backbone.
- Discard the head or save for soup.
- Hold the belly up so you don’t cut the middle. Place your knife flat on the backbone and cut all the way to the tail with long strokes of the knife. You are cutting through the ribs.
- That side will be separated.
- Flip the fish over and do the same thing with the other side.
- Discard the backbone or save for soup.
- Turn the first filet skin-side-down. Use a sharp knife in a long sweeping motion to cut between the ribs and the flesh, pulling skin away to remove the ribs. You should be able to see the knife through the skin on the ribs.
- Do the same with the other filet. A little white belly skin is OK, as long as you remove all the rib bones.
- Leave filets whole, or cut into portions.
- Bag it and tag it!
